Success at the Shore
Lady Mavs finish in ‘Elite Eight’
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Anderson County’s Hannah Bruce delivers a pitch against Halls. The senior threw her second no-hitter of the season last week, at the Gulf Shores Classic II. - Conner McCarty
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Anderson County at the Gulf Shores Classic II. - Conner McCarty
Over Spring Break, the Anderson County Lady Mavericks Softball program traveled to Gulf Shores, Alabama, and competed in the Gulf Shores Classic II Tournament.
The Lady Mavs (7-3) had much success and finished in the “Elite Eight” round of the tournament, which consisted of 41 teams.
Anderson County began pool play last Monday afternoon, with a 2-1 win against Athens.
Senior pitcher Hannah Bruce earned the win. Bruce pitched all seven innings, faced 26 batters, and threw 57 strikes out of 77 pitches. The senior gave up seven hits, one unearned run, and recorded two K’s.
Freshman Leah Freeman went 2-for-3 at the dish with two hits.
Later that evening, Anderson County dropped their following game 13-4 to Fairhope—the fifth ranked team in the country and defending 7A Alabama State Champions. The loss marked the Lady Mavs’ first of the year.
The next day, Anderson County got back in the win column, with a 5-4 win over Hartselle—the defending 6A Alabama State Champions.
Bruce earned her second win of the week and was in the circle for all four innings. She faced 24 batters, and threw 55 strikes out of 93 pitches. Bruce gave up eight hits; four earned runs, walked three, and struck out three.
Senior Emilee Fowler went 1-for-2 at the plate for the Lady Mavs. Fowler would give Anderson County an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, when she smashed a three-run homer to right field.
In their last pool play contest, the Lady Mavs dropped their second game of the year—a 4-2 loss to Huntsville, another 7A program.
In Anderson County’s first elimination game, on Wednesday morning, the Lady Mavs would earn a 9-2 win over Greenbrier. The Lady Mavs would combine for 13 hits in only four innings of play.
Down 2-0, in the bottom of the second, sophomore Abbi Buswell would cut Greenbrier’s lead in half with a pop fly RBI single to right field, which brought in Freshman Audrey Lankford.
In the bottom of the third, Anderson County’s offense would produce a three-run inning to take a 4-2 lead. With senior Kenzie Jones on third, and freshman Leah Freeman on second, Hannah Bruce would crank a two-RBI double on a fly ball to center.
On the next at-bat, after Audrey Lankford came on to pinch run for Bruce, junior Mallorie Overton would hit a grounder up the middle to score Lankford from second.
The Lady Mavs poured on five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to secure the win.
Bruce earned her third win of the tournament. The senior pitched four innings and faced 19 batters. Bruce threw 48 strikes out of 64 pitches, gave up six hits, two earned runs, walked one, and struck out seven. Yet, the win would not be her best performance of the day.
Later that afternoon, Anderson County defeated Lawrence County 4-0, as Hannah Bruce would throw her second no-hitter of the season.
Bruce earned win number four, as the senior pitched all four innings. Bruce faced 14 batters, threw 33 strikes out of 59 pitches. She gave up no hits, no runs, walked two, and tallied one K.
Offensively, Fowler would earn a team-leading two RBIs, while Overton, and junior Aundria Long would each earn an RBI.
The win advanced Anderson County to the “Elite Eight” round, where they would face district foe and defending State Champions—Powell High School. The Lady Panthers would eliminate the Lady Mavs 3-0.
Anderson County returned home after a successful Spring Break, and traveled to Karns Tuesday evening, however the result of that district game were unavailable by press time. The Lady Mavs will return home on April 2nd, for a district contest against Knoxville Central. First pitch against the Lady Bobcats is scheduled for 6:00.